What are the responsibilities and job description for the Plant Manager position at Management Recruiters of the Lowcountry, LLC?
Plant Manager – cGMP Bio‑Manufacturing (Full Time, Onsite – Southeast)
MR Lowcountry, LLC – Nebo, NC 28761 Contact: tom@mrlowcountry.com | 843‑628‑5021
MR Lowcountry builds and operates next‑generation bio‑manufacturing systems that produce sustainable, high‑performance specialty ingredients. Our work accelerates the shift toward Bio-Alternatives by scaling synthetic biology from lab to commercial production.
We are hiring a Plant Manager to lead all operations at a cGMP manufacturing facility, including production, quality, maintenance, and site compliance. This role owns safety, throughput, yield, cost performance, and regulatory compliance (cGMP, FDA, OSHA, FSMA, HACCP/SQF/BRC).
What You Will Do
- Lead daily plant operations and deliver production schedules, yield targets, and cost goals.
- Manage supervisors, shift leads, and multi‑shift manufacturing teams.
- Ensure full compliance with cGMP, FDA, OSHA, FSMA, HACCP, SQF/BRC, and food safety programs.
- Oversee batch records, deviations, CAPAs, change controls, and audit readiness.
- Drive OEE, right‑first‑time, cycle‑time, sanitation/CIP validation, and documentation accuracy.
- Own site safety metrics, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
- Manage capital projects, equipment upgrades, and facility expansions.
- Partner with Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, and R&D to improve performance.
- Report KPIs (yield, throughput, quality, safety, cost) to executive leadership.
Required Experience
- 8 years manufacturing leadership, including 3 years as a Plant Manager or senior operations leader.
- Direct experience in cGMP‑regulated biotech, pharma, chemical, or specialty ingredient manufacturing.
- Food manufacturing background with HACCP, SQF/BRC, PCQI, FSMA, allergen control, sanitation/CIP, and environmental pathogen monitoring.
- Strong knowledge of FDA regulations, batch record systems, and quality management systems.
- Proven leadership of multi‑shift teams, P&L ownership, budgets, and capital projects.
- Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills.
Preferred Experience
- Fermentation or bioprocessing operations.
- Lean/Six Sigma (Green Belt or Black Belt).
- ERP/MES systems and electronic batch records.
- Facility expansion or tech‑transfer leadership.
How We Operate (First Principles Manufacturing)
We build improvement plans from the underlying physics, chemistry, and mass balance of our processes. The Plant Manager will lead using:
- Theoretical yield modeling to set performance targets.
- Bottleneck‑first prioritization to increase throughput.
- TACT‑based sanitation parameters built from soil‑removal kinetics.
- Bottom‑up cost modeling tied to utilities, labor, and consumables.
- Decomposed OEE analysis to target true loss drivers.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to walk/stand for extended periods.
- Ability to wear PPE in cleanroom and manufacturing areas.
- Occasional lifting up to 25 lbs.
- Ability to support off‑shift or weekend operations as needed.
Why Join MR Lowcountry
- Opportunity: Build a future centered on sustainable bio‑manufacturing.
- Accountability: Lead a hands‑on, high‑impact operation.
- Passion: Work with people who love solving hard problems and bringing new technologies to market.
Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. Reasonable accommodations available.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person